Never forgotten
by Sayuriameyo
Summary: The calamity has returned after more than two decades of absence. One day Sakakibara Kouichi receives a call from an old friend who is seeking his help. He is asked to find Misaki Mei and visit Yomiyama to put an end to the curse once again. However, Mei doesn't seem to remember anything about him or the calamity. Now, what awaits them in the town where they first met so long ago?
1. Prologue: A short introduction

**A/N: Hello everyone! I have been working on this fanfic for quite a while and now I am ready to upload it which makes me really excited :D But before you start reading, there are some things you need to know. **

**First of all, I do not own Another. I wish I did though.**

**Secondly, I am uploading the prologue and the first chapter simultaneously which means that if you quickly read through the lines on this page, you can immadiately click the button for the next chapter where things will finally start happening :D**

**All Japanese interjections and the characters' thoughts are written in italic.  
**

**Oh and one more thing. English is not my primary language, so I apologize for any grammatical errors or misspellings. I usually check the text for such mistakes, but you can always miss a few, right?**

**Okay, let's get started!**

* * *

**Prologue: A short introduction**

When the calamity of 1998 ended much to everyone's relief Sakakibara Kouichi and his remaining classmates graduated at the end of the school year and left for high schools in different parts of the country. With time each and every one of them forgot about the horror they reluctantly witnessed in the first half of that school year. And it was for the best.

The generation that followed immediately took the appropriate countermeasures by making a girl non-existent right at the beginning of the year. Thus the calamity didn't occur in the year of 1999. However, the generation of 2000 wasn't as informed as the one before them and made the same error the class of 1998 did: they failed to choose the non-existent student soon enough. They only accomplished this cruel task in early June. Understandably, nobody wanted to volunteer. Despite this costly mistake the calamity didn't happen that year either. Everyone dreaded the moment when it would start again, taking one student after another. But several months passed and no suspicious accidents occurred, nobody died. Not for the forthcoming twenty-two years.

It was the year 2022. It has been fifty years now that Yomiyama Misaki died and this year would be definitely different than all those in the past. Soon enough the dead would start piling up and spread fear and panic amongst the students. After all these years the various rumours about the curse have almost died out and there were only a few teachers who recalled the details of the consequences if no countermeasures were taken. Upon retiring in 2014, Chibiki Tatsuji has cut all his ties with the Yomiyama North Middle School. If there was no curse, nobody was needed to keep a record of it either. Those who knew the details regarded the calamity as a natural phenomenon which has finally come to an end. They were wrong. The curse was like an earthquake: you could never predict when precisely it would happen until you started to feel its effects. And of course, by then it would be already too late.

Now, will the class of 2022 be left to fate or will there be someone who will manage to gather enough of the lost pieces to face the calamity?


	2. Chapter 1: Awakening memories

**Chapter 1: Awakening memories**

Pursuing his interest in art, Sakakibara Kouichi was now the director of the Tokyo Art Museum. Despite turning thirty-nine this year he looked much younger than any of his employees whom he shared the same year of birth with. He himself didn't feel otherwise either. Not having any problems with his lungs since his teenage years made him appear healthier as well. True, he still couldn't run a marathon, but he never expressed the desire to take part in such an activity anyway. There were only a few barely visible wrinkles in the corner of his eyes that vouched for his true age.

If anyone asked him about a town called Yomiyama, he would be lost in thought for a few moments and then claim that he might have had visited such a place a long time ago, but his memories of that town had faded by now. However, this wouldn't be the case for too long because on a warm evening at the end of May he received a phone call from a certain someone.

"Hello, is this Sakaki?" asked a voice on the other end of the line. The voice and the manner of speech seemed familiar to Kouichi, but he couldn't recall where he heard it before.

"This is Sakakibara Kouichi speaking. Who is this if I may ask?" he asked while searching the inside of his jacket for his house keys. He almost arrived at his flat when his phone rang; therefore he hasn't had the chance to fish out his keys yet. No matter how busy he was, he always answered his phone calls. This was his private number though, so it wasn't work related.

"Uh yes, I should have introduced myself first, but I thought you would recognise my voice. How silly of me, it's been ages since we saw each other. Anyway, my name is Teshigawara Naoya."

"Teshigawara, Teshigawara… I've heard this name before," said Kouichi out loud while fiddling with the lock. He always mixed up the key to the front door with the key to his father's house; the two of them were an exact replica of each other, almost like twins.

"Does the word Yomiyama mean anything?" asked Naoya, hoping for his old classmate to remember some of the events from twenty-four years ago.

"Yes, maybe. Would you mind helping me out here?" he said jokingly into the speaker still not understanding a single word the other man was saying.

"Ah I'm really confusing you, aren't I? Let me try it one more time. We... errr... We used to be classmates in the 9th grade in Yomiyama and we graduated together. We were part of the cursed class, remember?"

The word _cursed_ sent shivers down Kouichi's spine. His irises widened and he felt a slight, but sharp pain in his chest. How could he ever forget? The calamity of class 3-3, the curse that killed his friends and teacher and could only be stopped by… He shook his head. Yes, the calamity ended in the middle of that year, but how? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall what happened that put an end to all the horror.

"Teshigawara! Oh, now I remember. Yes, we really did graduate together. And that was in Yomiyama, of course. But I swear I forgot about the curse," Kouichi admitted shyly.

Well, that wasn't exactly true. The memories of that year have always been present at the back of his mind. Stored in the deepest corner, they still had an effect on Kouichi without him even realising it. The first years in high school he was tormented by nightmares that he could barely remember upon waking up. His father would wake him up every now and then when he was fighting with his sheets and nearly crying in his sleep. However, as time passed, the memories faded and now only erupted in the form of loneliness. Throughout his life he had the feeling no one really understood him, not even his ex-wife. As if there was something that made him different than everyone else. Also, there were days when after a long night of work he dozed off for a few minutes in his office only to see images of fire and rivers of blood never knowing what they meant.

_Despite all we've been through, the memories of the calamity have been enshrouded by the bitter and thick fog of time. It is surely funny how things work_, thought Kouichi.

"Hah, finally! Don't let it get to you; I would have forgotten everything as well if I wasn't still in Yomiyama." Naoya's voice got quieter.

"You haven't left the town?" asked Kouichi the rhetoric question.

"No, I haven't which brings me to the reason of my call. I need a big favour, Sakaki. And sadly, I don't mean the kind of favour that one is able to return… If I could I would tell you this in person, but that is impossible at the moment. I can't leave Yomiyama, so we'll have to do it over the phone."

"Go ahead, you can ask anything," Kouichi encouraged him. He was in the kitchen by now and was searching the fridge for dinner ingredients. He's been living on his own ever since he divorced his wife two years ago. However, cooking wasn't an obstacle. As we all know, he learnt the art of cooking at a very young age since his father wasn't much of a cook himself.

"I know this call has awakened some bitter memories and I am truly sorry for that, but this is an emergency because..."

Kouichi interrupted him, "The sooner you tell me, the sooner I can help." He was getting rather nervous and had the feeling that this conversation wasn't going to be as positive as he first thought.

"Oh yes, you're right." Naoya cleared his throat. "I'd like you to find Misaki Mei."

That name caused an eruption of emotions inside Kouichi. Now that Naoya mentioned her, he remembered how much he missed her in the first few months after he moved back to Tokyo. They grew really close and understood each other perfectly, especially after the calamity had ended. The hell they both had been through couldn't be imagined by anyone, not even Naoya, who was there on that trip as well. Yes, that was when everything ended. The entire class went on a trip in August. But what exactly happened there has been clouded by dust and by the consequences of the calamity.

"Misaki Mei?"

"Yes. You know who she is, right?"

"Yes, of course I know her. But how am I supposed to find her? I haven't seen or heard from her ever since our graduation."

Kouichi could hear someone slapping himself on the forehead on the other end of the line. "I am such a moron; I should have started at the beginning. Ah, I've never been good at explaining things." He let out a big sigh. "Sakaki, I hope you've got time, this will take a while." As soon as Kouichi answered in the affirmative, Naoya began, "When the calamity ended in '98, it didn't return anymore. Everyone had forgotten about it until it started again this year. I don't know the reason for its long pause, but two students and two family members have already lost their lives and I am sure this isn't just a strange coincidence. Oh sorry, I forgot to mention where I got all my information from. I have been the homeroom teacher of class 3-3 for the past two years, that's why I know the situation so thoroughly… What?" Naoya was forced to stop his explanation due to a strange sound on the other end of the line. "Did you just laugh?"

"_Gomen, gomen_," said Kouichi, still trying to conceal a giggle. "It's just… I would have never thought you will become a sensei one day. You sure seemed to have other things on your mind back in those days."

"I was young and so were you, Sakaki," answered Naoya a little offended. "What are you doing nowadays anyway?"

"I work at an art museum."

"As a cleaner?"

"No, I am the director of the place. I didn't want to throw it in your face, but since you were begging for it I had no choice," said Kouichi jokingly.

"I must admit I am a little jealous. Although I can't imagine you running around in a suit looking all serious and whatnot. Well, back to the main topic. I swear, once this is over, we should have lunch together and catch up on all the lost years." Kouichi only managed to answer with a short _uh-huh_ before Naoya continued, "As I was saying, I am the homeroom teacher of class 3-3 this year and I am absolutely sure the calamity has started again. The other day I remembered something happened in the year of 1998 and the horror had come to an end. However, I couldn't recall what it was, so I went to the old 3-3 classroom and after a few hours of searching I found a tape in a locker. I will summarise what was recorded on it since I don't think you remember any of it. Hell, I was the one who spoke on the tape, yet I couldn't remember recording it. Also, its contents were really interesting. The tape gave instructions for further generations who are part of the cursed class on how to stop the calamity once it's begun. The answer is short: send the dead back to the dead. (I should add that hearing myself say this sentence sent shivers down my spine.) So basically, someone has to kill the extra one, the dead one, and it will be over. The difficulty here is that the dead person doesn't know he's dead. Nobody does, actually. And here's where Misaki Mei comes into the picture. You claimed on the tape that Misaki could see the so called "colour of death" with her artificial eye. (This detail made my jaw drop and I wondered whether my reaction was the same back then. I had no idea artificial eyes were capable of such things.) Now, I went to her place yesterday only to find it abandoned. Her neighbour, an older lady, told me Misaki and her mother moved to Tokyo right after her graduation. She did give me Misaki's address though. I think she said her mother used to send her dolls before she passed away. I personally find this detail rather creepy. Who would send dolls to an old neighbour?"

"Her mother made them. Maybe they were a present or something like that," said Kouichi, thinking that he never considered Kirika's dolls to be frightening.

"Oh well, that makes sense, I guess. Anyway, this is where you, Sakaki, come in. Misaki lives in Tokyo and that's where you are as well. I will give you the address and you have to find her. I would do it myself, but like I mentioned I can't leave Yomiyama at the moment because…"

"…because everyone who tried to leave the town ended up dead. Yes, I remember," said Kouichi in an almost inaudible voice.

"Yes. I am really sorry, Sakaki. I wouldn't drag you into this if I had some other option. I spent weeks thinking about this and I came to the conclusion that you are the only one I can trust. Also, there's another reason why I couldn't get much sleep lately…" Naoya paused for a moment. "I have a son, Hajime, and he's in class 3-3 too." Another pause. "I don't want him losing his life in a stupid accident due to this damned curse."

"Teshigawara…"

"And you're not risking anything, Sakaki, because you're not related to the class anymore and Misaki doesn't have a connection to it either. Both of you will be safe, even if you come to Yomiyama."

"What's Misaki Mei's address?"

"Huh? So you'll help me?" asked Naoya surprised.

"Of course, you moron," answered Kouichi while reaching for a pen and some paper. He wrote down the address Naoya told him over the phone and realised that Misaki doesn't even live that far away from his apartment. Both of them lived in Shinjuku-ku and Kouichi found it strange they haven't met all these years. Maybe they did, they just didn't pay attention to each other since none of them looked properly. Just the thought of seeing his old friend again after such a long time made Kouichi overwhelmed with anticipation. Has she changed at all over the years? Does she still wear that eye patch over her left eye? Is she happy? What does she do for a living? Kouichi wanted to ask her so many things, but then he remembered the severity of the situation. Chats like that will have to wait.

He summed up the situation, "So both Misaki and I should come to Yomiyama and by using her artificial eye's "ability" we should determine who the extra one in the class is."

"Yes. Thank you so much, Sakaki," said Naoya relieved. Thanks to Kouichi, Naoya's wife, who happened to pass by, caught a faint, yet honest smile spread across her husband's features. He noticed her reflection in the glass of the window looking out into the garden. Their eyes met in the dim light of the evening. Miyuki's blue eyes were filled with curiosity.

"Alright. I'll call you tomorrow and let you know how it went. Do you think Misaki will agree?" asked Kouichi. Up until now he never considered the fact that Misaki might refuse to help. He shook his head. No, Misaki wasn't that kind of a person. If he explained everything, she would agree to go to Yomiyama within seconds.

"I don't think we will have to worry about that. I'm sure she will agree. You know Misaki." Yes, he does. "Oh, one more thing, Sakaki! Just out of curiosity... Who was the extra one in our generation?"

"Huh? _Eto... _The extra one was…" As soon as he finished the sentence, he heard a bird's voice inside his head.

_Ohayou, Rei-chan! Doushite, Rei-chan?_

"I don't know… The calamity altered everyone's memories, remember?" he said eventually. He could feel a cold chill running down his back. It was like the temperature in the room suddenly dropped ten degrees.

The long call between Kouichi and Naoya came to an end. The first step has been made by the friend from Yomiyama, now it was up to Kouichi to make the second. However, he had to wait until the next day, that's why he decided to order some sushi since he didn't find anything edible inside the fridge. It's been a while since he went to the grocery store.

* * *

"_Anata, _who was that on the phone?" asked Teshigawara Miyuki when her husband entered the kitchen. The family was carrying out the usual tasks before dinner; their son helped putting the dishes onto the table.

"Ah, I was chatting with an old schoolmate of mine. You know that guy from Tokyo? The one that had a crush on a weird girl with an eye patch in my class?"

"Oh, you told me about that, yes," Miyuki remembered and broke her chopsticks apart.

"Well, if things go smoothly, they will visit Yomiyama in a few days… That _ahou_ laughed at me when I told him I was a teacher," he added a little offended.

Miyuki laughed at his reaction. "If I had been in your class, I would have found it rather strange as well," she said and gently touched his cheek to imply she was only joking. "So, they got married then?"

"I haven't asked." Naoya paused, and then slapped himself on the forehead. "_Chotto_, I am such a moron. Of course they're not married; Sakaki hasn't seen her since our graduation either. I only know her address, so I asked him to contact her."

"Do you think she is still as odd as she used to be?"

"Uh, I certainly hope not, I've had enough shivers running through me for a lifetime."

"Speaking of marriage, I have no idea how you two crazy people managed to do it," their son said without raising his gaze from his plate.

"Hajime, watch your remarks, please," said his father jokingly. "Also, do you mind handing me the soy sauce? I can't reach it."

* * *

The strange woman, who used to wear an eye patch in school, was working as a librarian in the Central Library in Shinjuku-ku. She was on her way home after an uneventful day between the shelves when a man about her age called her by a name she hasn't heard for a while.

"Misaki!" shouted Kouichi when he noticed she was about to disappear into the depths of her home. His heart almost jumped out of his chest when he saw the small figure stop at the end of the street. Adrenaline was flowing through his veins as he hurried his steps towards the woman who still had the same shoulder length dark hair as back in those days.

When he first called out her name she didn't respond. Only when he called her by her entire name did she turn around.

"Misaki Mei!" said Kouichi in a normal volume since he managed to catch up with her. She turned around with a puzzled look in her eyes. For a moment, Kouichi thought Naoya gave him the wrong address. The eyes of the woman weren't covered by an eye patch. What was even more peculiar, in the dim light of the evening he could see that they were both green. How could this be?

"Hello, my name is Sakakibara. Sakakibara Kouichi. You're Misaki Mei, right?" As soon as she spoke he recognised her voice. No doubt about it, it was Mei, his classmate and fellow non-existent student from Yomiyama. But once he grasped the meaning of her reply, he couldn't deliver an answer.

"Excuse me, have we met before?"

* * *

**_Kimi ni boku ga mierukai?*_ **

**Can you see me?**

* * *

**A/N: It was quite a long chapter, but thank you for reading through it. Stay tuned for more, the second chapter, Missing pieces, will be coming very soon :)**

***The quote is from the opening of the anime, Kyoumu Densen (which I don't own either). I really like the song and I decided to put a line from it at the end of each chapter. Also, I apologise for any misspellings in Japanese, I used multiple translations on the net.**

**Meaning of the name Miyuki: beautiful fortune/happiness; kanji 美幸**

**Meaning of the name Hajime: beginning; kanji 肇**


	3. Chapter 2: Missing pieces

**Chapter 2: Missing pieces**

For a few seconds Kouichi could only stare into the pair of emerald green eyes having no idea how he should continue the conversation. Then he remembered he didn't recognise Naoya's voice the first time either.

"I know it's been more than twenty years… Do you remember when you were in 9th grade in Yomiyama North Middle School? We were classmates."

The woman shook her head.

"How about the curse of class 3-3? Does that ring a bell perhaps?" The word _curse _did smash a hole in the wall his memories were hidden behind, so he hoped it would have the same effect on her. After all those weren't memories you could easily forget.

Kouichi didn't have to wait for her reply; he saw the answer in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, you must be searching for someone else."

Kouichi looked at the name plate at the entrance. Akaike. She might have changed her surname, but he was sure it was her. It was definitely Misaki Mei. How come she couldn't remember anything?

"My maiden name was Misaki, but how did you know that?" the woman asked suddenly. "No one has ever called me like that since I got married fifteen years ago. Could you be from the library?"

"The… The library?" Kouichi stammered in confusion.

"It's where I work. Oh well, it seems you're not from there after all."

"No, I didn't know you worked in a library…"

"Sorry again, but I think you caught the wrong person," said Mei politely and was about to close the gate behind her.

"No, I am sure you are the one I am searching for." He fell silent for a moment. "Let's see… Ah! I know that you lost your left eye when you were four. Your mother, who made dolls for a living, replaced it with an artificial eye and despite it being very beautiful, you kept it hidden most of the time." Kouichi remembered these facts in the heat of the moment, leaving himself even more surprised than Mei.

Suddenly, a memory returned. It was the first time he visited the doll shop and met the strange girl who was ignored by everyone in school there. It was in the basement of the shop where she showed him her artificial eye for the first time. After that the deaths began to happen one after another.

Mei took a step backwards. Ever since she moved to Tokyo she has never told anyone any details about her artificial eye. When she was in high school she purchased coloured lenses for her right eye to even out the colour. Therefore at first sight you couldn't even tell one of her eyes was not real. Only her husband knew the story of her left eye and that person standing in front of her obviously wasn't the man she married.

_This means he has to be telling the truth… But how? It is impossible, I've never seen him before._

"I apologise, I didn't mean to scare you," said Kouichi in a tender voice as soon as he noticed the panic that spread across her features. This caused Mei to turn away.

"I believe you. Would you like to come in?" Mei asked suddenly without looking into Kouichi's big brown eyes. "My husband is still at work, so I can't offer you anything to eat, but I can make coffee or tea if you'd like."

"S… Sure. Tea sounds nice. Thank you." After his reply, she opened the gate a little further to welcome the stranger into her home. As Kouichi hesitated, she took her steps towards the front door. The realisation that Mei still wasn't fond of cooking amused him. This little detail which he recalled from their school days made him smile.

The inside of the house was small, but neat. It radiated warmth and comfort; there was no trace of the dreadful aura that accompanied those who were connected to the calamity. Kouichi got escorted into a room that served for the purpose of both a dining room and a living room. A curtain marked the border between that room and the kitchen.

Mei put on the kettle and took out some containers with different kinds of tea. She opened the one containing green cherry blossom tea and put the others back into the cupboard.

While she was preparing their hot beverage both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Kouichi was wondering how he should start the conversation and Mei was pondering over this mysterious man who suddenly appeared knowing all those personal information about her.

After she put the tea on the table, she sat down opposite her guest.

"Yomiyama… Yes, that was the place where I grew up. I know it was a small town in the middle of nowhere."

A short silence followed her statement during which both of them almost simultaneously took a sip of their tea.

"There is one year that I don't exactly remember," said Mei after a while. "Sometime after graduation the doctors found that something had been growing inside my head. Since we were planning to move here anyway, they decided to do the surgery in Tokyo. Kirika, my mother, used to own a doll shop back in Yomiyama… Her business wasn't going that well, so she decided to try it in another city. After the surgery I didn't remember much of the past year but I wasn't really concerned about it since I left anyway… The scar is still there, see?" Mei brushed away a few wisps of her bangs and revealed a three centimetre long scar above her forehead that hasn't completely faded not even after twenty-four years.

"So you don't remember the 9th grade at all?" asked Kouichi to sum up her story.

"Barely. I only know that I used to secretly meet with my twin sister. Have you known that I have a twin? Although after having left the town I don't get to see her anymore. It's a shame we lost contact throughout the years, I recall we used to get along pretty well." Mei brushed back her hair and took another sip of her tea. "Well, who knows? I might run into her on the street one day and we will catch up on all the years we've lost."

Kouichi stared at Mei's emerald green eyes trying to determine what was happening. Fujioka Misaki, Mei's twin sister was the first victim of the calamity in 1998, but now it seemed like Mei was sure she was still alive. If everything was true and everything that occurred during 9th grade has slipped from her mind, then there was no reason to make her regain her memories. Kouichi realised what he found so strange the moment she faced him on the street. The Misaki Mei that looked him in the eyes was happier than the Mei he had seen before leaving Yomiyama. Not recalling the horrific events that took place twenty-four years ago and believing her sister was still alive made Mei develop a more joyful personality. True, she had forgotten about their time spent together, but if this was the only way she could be happy then he was willing to live with it.

However, how could he persuade her to come to Yomiyama without causing her to remember anything? Does she even know what her left eye is capable of?

"Say, Misaki…" said Kouichi, but corrected himself right away. "I mean Akaike-san…"

"You can call me Mei," she interrupted him with a smile. "Judging by the things you know about me, it seems like we used to be quite close, right?"

"Oh. Alright, Mei-san it is. Then you can call me Kouichi." She answered with a nod. "Anyway, there's something that's been bothering me. This might sound a little weird… How come both of your eyes are the same colour?"

"Oh that." She leaned in closer, almost knocking over her cup in the process, and opened her eyes widely. "Figure it out, Kouichi-kun."

This sudden closeness made Kouichi blush slightly and before he could stop it a thought snuck into his head.

_She became such a beautiful woman._

He swallowed, reminding himself that this was not the time for thoughts such as that.

He focused on her eye. Around her right iris he detected the edge of a transparent object. Mei noticed the flash of realisation in his eyes. She smiled, taking out a small plastic container and removed the lens in her right eye, so Kouichi could once again look into her ruby red eye. "I didn't want people asking unnecessary questions or stare at me strangely, so I decided to buy coloured lenses," she explained with a shrug.

"Do you see the colour…? I mean, do you see any differently with your artificial eye?" asked Kouichi carefully.

"I told you that too, didn't I?" asked Mei with a smile. "You know, it's a little irritating that you know so much about me, yet I don't even recall the slightest detail about you. Now I wish I could remember that year."

_Believe me, Mei, you don't want to._

She sighed. "About my eye… Yes, sometimes I see a colour that I don't see with my other eye. Interestingly, it only appears when I look at a certain person. Somehow it doesn't transfer onto objects. I think it must be a side effect of the artificial eye."

Kouichi was staring at her once again. This time he was holding the cup of tea in mid-air; his mouth was slightly opened in surprise. No wonder Mei was a completely different person, she didn't have the faintest idea what that colour represented. He decided then that no matter what happened, she must never find out the truth.

"Kouichi-kun? Is everything alright?" asked Mei concerned. Kouichi shook his head and took a nervous sip. The time has come to tell her why he visited her in the first place.

"Mhm? Yes, thank you. Mei-san, there's a reason why I came to you today. I need your help."

"Oh? My help?" Mei raised an eyebrow.

Kouichi was lost in thought for a few seconds, trying to figure out a method of telling her a clever lie and not get caught. However, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"There's this friend of mine in Yomiyama. Actually, you used to know him; he was in our class too. Does the name Teshigawara Naoya mean anything to you?"

"Hmm… It seems familiar, yes. Oh, wasn't that the guy who always told cheap jokes that nobody besides him laughed at? He always wore a blue sweater and a white shirt, right?"

Kouichi couldn't help but let out a faint laugh. "Yes, that's him. You remember him?"

"Well, it would be hard to forget a guy like him," said Mei and both of them laughed. Kouichi once again thought about how happy Mei was and promised himself he wouldn't let the calamity take that from her.

_I wonder how she will react after I tell her that he's a teacher now._

"Yes, him. He invited us both to Yomiyama."

"Why me?"

"Because… He wants us to visit our old school and you have to tell us who wears a different colour than everyone else."

Kouichi fell silent and expected to be showered with questions about the purpose of this seemingly ridiculous course of action. This time it won't be easy to avoid telling her the entire truth, the partial truth has never satisfied anyone. However, Mei responded differently.

"Alright, I'll do it."

"You… You don't want to know why?"

"Of course I do, but you don't seem like someone who wants to let me in on the details." Kouichi blushed. Was it really that obvious? "I assume you must have a very good reason, otherwise you wouldn't have come to visit me today. I will call the library first thing in the morning and ask someone to substitute for me, but I don't think there will be any trouble. When do we depart?"

"Err… Tomorrow if that's okay with you. Let's say… Around ten o'clock? I will come to pick you up."

With that it was settled.

* * *

**A/N: I didn't find any information about Yomiyama (such as which prefecture it can be found in etc.), that's why I made up my own theory of its location. The town of Yomiyama lies in the depths of the Nagano prefecture, about three to four hours of car drive from Tokyo.**

* * *

After Kouichi arrived home, he gave Naoya a ring and told him they would arrive in the afternoon the next day. It's needless to say that the homeroom teacher of class 3-3 was overwhelmed with joy.

"Finally,we can put a stop to it tomorrow. I can't believe this is happening," exclaimed Kouichi's friend over the phone. Naoya suggested they meet in front of Yomi North during one of the breaks and he would lead them to the classroom. "And after everything is over, we should go to Inoya Café and toast to a new beginning. Yes, the place is still running and it looks exactly like it did back then. Oh, it is going to be amazing."

* * *

"You forgot your lens today," said Kouichi after they greeted each other.

"I left it at home on purpose. I have a feeling I won't need to hide my eye where we're going."

Upon arriving in Yomiyama Kouichi once again called Naoya's number and let him know they had arrived. The latter told them to wait in front of the school gates where they would meet.

Ever since they crossed the town's border an uneasy feeling started to develop inside of the two former non-existent students. Kouichi felt the same chill he experienced that evening when Naoya asked him about the extra one in their class. The aura in the car was similar to the one that accompanied the bird's words. After a while he couldn't stand it anymore and turned off the air conditioning.

"So you can feel it too," said Mei in the passenger seat only to receive a puzzled look from her driver. "I don't know where this cold suddenly came from, but I have a feeling it is not promising anything positive."

"Oh, it's nothing. I must have accidentally set the temperature too low," said Kouichi even though he knew Mei wouldn't believe him. Those comforting words were meant for himself rather than for her. After all she didn't have any idea what was awaiting them.

As they approached their old school they saw a much mature version of their former classmate standing at the gates. For some unknown reason both of them imagined Naoya would still look the same he did all those years ago, maybe a few years older. Much to their surprise he was dressed in a plain white shirt with a brown tie and brown trousers as is right and proper for a teacher. If it had not been for his easily identifiable light brown hair, he would have been unrecognisable. Despite looking worried he was waving at the guests from Tokyo happily.

They were about to cross the road when Mei noticed something. A black car had just turned around the corner and was approaching the spot where Naoya was waiting for them. The car's speed was way above the limit. She shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand in order to see him better. He was enshrouded by the colour only her left eye could see.

A voice in her head screamed. _Something is very wrong. I must save him!_

"Watch out!" she yelled as she ran across the road, and then jumped in front of the car, pushing away the homeroom teacher of class 3-3. The squeal of the car's brakes could be heard throughout the entire town, but it was too late to avoid a collision.

Kouichi watched this scene from the other side of the road. As soon as he realised what had happened, he rushed over to Mei's unconscious body while repeating her name over and over like a prayer.

* * *

_**Mou hitori boku ga ite.**_

**There is another me.**

* * *

**Arigatou minna-san for reading! :D **

**What do you think will happen to the former classmates? Chapter 3, titled The colour of death, will be the climax of the story and I hope you will return to read it :)**

**Meaning of the surname Akaike: red pond; kanji 赤池**


	4. Chapter 3: The colour of death

**Chapter 3: The colour of death**

Mei has never been fond of hospitals, especially the Yomiyama Hospital where her sister died. The cracks in the cold walls, the dull beeping sound of the cardiac monitor, the faint, yet distinguishable smell of disinfectant lingering in the air, all this was part of something she never asked for. Now she was sure that this something would stay by her side as long as she was alive. And there would be no escape.

She managed to sit up in her bed and look out of the window into the bright sunlight. When she woke up there was no one in her room and she didn't call for a nurse either. Knowing Kouichi and the others would surely be there soon, she wanted to enjoy the solitude and the silence before everyone barged in. Looking at her arms and legs she determined she didn't suffer serious injuries from the accident.

However, when she came to she had to sort out whether she was dead or still alive. She didn't feel any pain; therefore she concluded she must have lost her life on the road. Soon she was overcome by sorrow and realised that the absence of any kind of ache could be explained by a great amount of painkillers flowing through her system.

Footsteps echoed outside, then an almost inaudible knock could be heard before the door slowly opened. A man in his late thirties with brown hair and brown eyes carefully looked into the room. As soon as he saw the patient awake, he stepped in and closed the door behind him with a faint smile.

"How are you, Mei-san?" he whispered as he approached the bed.

The woman continued to gaze through the glass at the town below. Kouichi didn't want to disturb her, that's why he silently sat down on a chair beside the bed and looked in the same direction Mei was looking.

When the silence was becoming unbearable, he said, "The doctor said you only suffered minor injuries which is a miracle considering how fast that car was going. You will be allowed to leave the hospital tomorrow." No response. "Before we leave for Tokyo, we can stay at Naoya's place, that's where I am currently residing as well. Speaking of which, he will be here soon and will personally thank you for saving his life. He made me promise not to say a word until he gets here, otherwise…"

"I saw the colour of death." It seemed like Mei didn't even listen to what the man beside her had been talking about the past minute. Those words made Kouichi freeze.

"Huh? You saw… The colour of what..?" he stammered. He didn't remember telling Mei about _the_ colour_._

"I saw the colour of death on Teshigawara," Mei repeated and turned to face Kouichi. "Sakakibara-kun, I remember you."

Kouichi's breathing and heartbeat quickened, his pupils dilated. He was staring at Mei in disbelief.

"What do you mean..?" he whispered even though he already knew the answer. No, he needed to hear it out loud.

"Maybe it was the accident, maybe it was the town itself that made my memories return. Whatever the cause, it doesn't matter now. It was bound to happen anyway."

There was no doubt about it: the act was over. Despite failing to deliver a reply, Kouichi felt like a huge weight has been lifted off his chest. Instead of answering with words he leaned over to Mei, and enclosed her in a tight embrace completely forgetting about her injuries. The sudden physical contact left her surprised, but she chose to accept it. Her weak arms rested on Kouichi's back, her face was buried in his shirt. It's been so long since anybody held her like this.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't bring myself to tell you the truth," Kouichi confessed in a sad voice when they let go of each other. "Being void of those memories… You looked so happy and I didn't want to ruin that."

"I don't blame you for anything," said Mei slowly. "Actually, I am kind of grateful you brought me back here. All these years I'd been cheerful, but at the same time I felt like I was missing something inside. Now that feeling is gone thanks to you, Sakakibara-kun. True, having returned to Yomiyama made me remember all the horrible things that happened. However, it also made me recall the time I spent with you in 9th grade. And those had been one of the happiest memories since my sister died."

Kouichi blushed as he thought about those days. Back then, when the horror ended and they got to spend the rest of the school year in peace, they spent most of their free time together. Each day they took long walks by the river after school without any worries whatsoever. Kouichi sometimes attempted to teach Mei a few tricks in the kitchen, but it always backfired. Also, Mei never wore her eyepatch at home. Whenever they entered her house Kouichi removed it immediately. At first she resisted. Later she even brushed aside her hair so they didn't represent an obstacle. Despite everything Kouichi dreaded the day when he would return to Tokyo. Deep within his heart he refused to accept that his stay in Yomiyama was only temporary. He didn't want to face this fact, that's why he buried it and hoped that with time it would fade away. Even when the day he feared most came, he kept telling himself that their paths would cross again. Kouichi would have never said this out loud, but he considered themselves an inseparable couple. Until life cut off the ties that bound him to this fantasy.

He couldn't think of an appropriate reply to her statement, that's why he changed the topic. "How… How are you feeling? You must be the first person in the last fifty years to ever survive an accident staged by the calamity. Because I am sure it wasn't just a coincidence."

"You know, I think it was only because I am not directly connected to the class anymore. If it had been Teshigawara-kun, the hit would have definitely been fatal."

Speaking of the devil, their conversation was interrupted by a loud knock and before waiting for someone to invite him in, Naoya stormed into the room with a worried look spread across his features.

"Misaki! Are you alright?" he asked as soon as he saw the patient sitting upright in her bed.

"Well, yes…" she answered a little confused. Now that Kouichi thought about it, Mei used to say she would never get used to Naoya's adrenaline filled personality.

"_Yokatta! _Also, thank you for saving my life back there, Misaki. I will owe you for ever." He was about to continue his speech when Kouichi interrupted him.

"Teshigawara, Mei-san has regained her memories." While Mei was unconsciously lying in the hospital, Kouichi let him in on the details about the state of their former classmate.

"Really?" the sensei asked and looked at the patient. "Is that good or bad?"

"It's good," said Mei before Kouichi could decide on an answer. "Now I know what I have to do and you two don't have to hide anything from me anymore. I know it was for my own good, but the situation has changed."

Kouichi finished her thoughts. "Yes. We are once again in 9th grade. We know what our task is."

* * *

The events that took place the next day would soon be forgotten by Kouichi and Mei, but they would always be a part of Naoya's life.

Mei got released from the hospital and they decided to head immediately to Yomiyama North and catch the class before they headed home. They were waiting for Naoya in the corridor when the door opened and the homeroom teacher of class 3-3 asked Mei to come in.

"Everyone is present today," he had whispered to her before closing the door behind her. She turned to face the class; her look met twenty-six pairs of curious eyes. While Teshigawara introduced her as a substitute teacher for next week (that was a lie he came up with at that moment and didn't concern himself whether it sounded very believable or not), she let her gaze wander across the girls and boys sitting obediently in their neatly ironed uniforms. It didn't take long for her to notice the all familiar colour on one of them.

"_Yoroshiku onegaishimasu_," said Mei breaking off Teshigawara's explanation. "You will get to know me more closely next week, now I have other things to attend to." She bowed and stormed out of the classroom. After she regained her memories this was the first time she saw someone close to death and the feeling of fear that was all too familiar returned. Apparently she wasn't as ready for it as she thought she would be.

When she closed the door behind herself Kouichi looked for confirmation in her eyes. Mei avoided his look and was inspecting the freshly polished floor when they heard Naoya's voice from inside the room.

"Alright, that's all for today. Have a nice weekend; we'll see each other next week." The words were meant to be loud enough for anyone on the corridor to hear. Kouichi went over to the door and slid it open. Naoya was directing his attention at one of his students who looked very similar to his sensei.

"That's Hajime-kun, Naoya's son. I met him while you were at the hospital. The likeness is uncanny, isn't it?" explained Kouichi and signalled the teacher to come over.

"Who is it?" he asked Mei in a fainter voice. Kouichi noticed his voice was shaking a little. Mei pretended as if she didn't hear the question. Tears began to form in her eyes.

"Mei, who is the extra one?" asked Kouichi as well. The three of them were standing in front of the door and were blocking the way for the students. After one of them politely asked to let him through, Kouichi moved to the side to let him pass.

"Sakaki, what if one of them…"

"The extra one is still inside," Kouichi said and looked at Mei. "Isn't that right, Misaki?" Being called by her maiden name by Kouichi made her raise her gaze only to meet his worried look. He gave her a supportive nod and moved to the side to let Mei see the classroom in its entirety. Naoya followed her gaze. He could feel his entire body shaking now. The look he saw in her eyes sent shivers down his spine and he wasn't so eager to know who the dead one was anymore.

"The extra student is…" said Mei and pointed at a student who was facing away from them. He was standing by the window and was probably inspecting the school yard. It seemed like he chose that activity to kill some of his time while he was waiting for something. Or someone.

"Ha-Hajime? No," Naoya whispered in a high pitched voice.

"I am so sorry, Teshigawara-kun."

The classroom was almost empty now. There was only a small group of girls exchanging notes at one of the desks and then there was the boy whose gaze was still directed at the happenings outside. The bright sunlight encircled his figure and made his light brown hair shine in a golden colour.

Both Kouichi and Mei expected their friend to lose his senses and deny the facts that are right in front of him. Instead he swallowed hard and approached his son by the window. As soon as the boy heard his footsteps, he turned around to face his father. He took his hands out of his pockets and grabbed his bag.

Looking at his father expectantly, he said, "_Otou_-san, I am ready to go home. Oh shoot." He looked around. There was no one who could have heard him. "_Gomen, _I meant to call you Teshigawara-sensei, but I got lost in thought and forgot. Do I…"

"Never mind that, Hajime," Naoya interrupted him with a serious look on his face. The boy's eyes grew wide with surprise. It was the first time he saw his father look at him like that. Hopefully nothing was wrong. "I have some things to discuss with Misaki… Misaki-sensei over there," he threw a gaze towards the door. "And her husband… Would you mind waiting for me in the corridor? I promise I won't be long."

"Yeah, sure," the boy answered still a little scared. "There isn't a problem, is there?"

"Huh, what? No, there's no problem at all. Just wait for me, alright?" After those words left his lips, Naoya turned on his heel and hurried towards the door. "Come with me," he said to Kouichi and Mei who were still standing motionlessly at the door. They followed him up the stairs to a small cabinet that looked like a storage room of some kind. The walls were lined with shelves full of old boxes and documents carelessly piled into mountains that seemed like they would scatter on the floor if the smallest breeze was let inside. In the middle of the room there was a small desk with a few chairs left around it. A thin layer of dust covered everything in that tiny place the three former classmates entered.

"Teshigawara…" Kouichi began as the door closed behind them, but the other wasn't listening to him.

"That can't be… Hajime can't be the extra one, he just can't," said Naoya and ran his fingers through his hair, ruining his neat hairstyle. "He's my son, I would know if something happened to him." Kouichi and Mei watched as his hands got hold of his tie and loosened it in slow motion. While he was staring at the ground, he searched for support and leaned against the desk causing tiny particles of the settled dust to take flight. His breathing became heavier with each passing second, so he unbuttoned the upper two buttons of his shirt. Little pearls of sweat started to form on his forehead and he had the feeling it suddenly became scorching hot inside the room.

"Teshigawara…" Kouchi tried again and stepped closer to the man who was about to lose the last vestiges of self-control, but was interrupted by a bird's voice.

_Genki, genki! Rei-chan, ohayou!_

It was that bloody bird again. Where did he hear it before? He looked around. None of the people around him seemed to have noticed the sound, so where on earth did it come from?

"Your memories have been altered, it's part of the calamity," said Mei. She approached Naoya and tried to look him in the eye. "I don't want to be the one to say this, but we all know what the next step is." That moment she felt like this wasn't the only time a close relative of someone she knew turned out to be long gone.

"I know, I know," said Naoya while inspecting the dirty floor with his teeth clenched. He pushed himself away from the steady support of the desk behind him. After taking a few steps towards the dusty window, he buried his face in his hands.

"Who should do it?" asked Mei. She rushed the decision because she didn't want anyone else to become a victim. Far too many people have already been hurt due to this damned curse.

"Teshigawara, I will do it," said Kouichi, not completely aware of what he just agreed upon. He never imagined himself as a killer, but if the person is already dead it shouldn't matter, right?

_Of course it should,_ Kouichi thought and felt like a huge stone was clinging to his heart and cutting into the soft tissue. Because when you do it, when you take somebody's life, the consequences will never leave you. The weight of your sin will be burnt into your subconscious for ever and hoping for it to fade would just be wishful thinking.

_Genki, genki!_

_Why do I keep hearing this voice? Could it be that I am going insane? Or maybe…_

Kouichi's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that he had already killed someone and that voice is there to remind him of the horrible thing he'd done? Then how come he didn't remember it? It was this question that made everything clear. _If I don't remember it then it must mean that it happened during the time the calamity was active back in 1998. Was it me who disposed of the extra one that year? But what does this bird have got to do with everything?  
_

Kouichi's train of thoughts was stopped by Mei. "Sakakibara-kun, are you alright? You look kind of sick."

"Huh? Yes, everything is peachy." Kouichi took a deep breath. "Teshigawara? We need you back here as soon as possible. Can you hear me?"

"What?" Naoya turned around, his eyes reflecting emptiness. "Oh, right. We need to kill the extra one." Silence fell. The words he said were as sharp as a razor. "I will do it."

"Are you sure?" asked Mei while searching for reason in Naoya's eyes. There was none.

"Yes, I have to be the one." More silence. "Sakaki, thank you for the offer, but I can't let you live with this. It has to be my burden." He forced a faint smile upon his features. In the dim light of the room and in the current situation it didn't come across as a smile of encouragement or determination, but rather than a smile of approaching insanity. "I was part of his life for fifteen years, watched him grow up and saw him cause the same troubles I did when I was his age… Besides, the safety of this class is my responsibility, so I'd like to be the one putting an end to all this. Also, you are not connected to the class anymore. If you do it, we can't even be sure it worked... One more death and then there will be no more, right?" He sighed and ran through his hair once more, combing it with his fingers back to their original state. "Let's go before I change my mind. Hajime must be waiting for me." Naoya rushed towards the door, tore it open and ran down the stairs. Like before, Kouichi and Mei followed him but not before exchanging a concerned look.

"Thank you both for helping me out," said Naoya when they caught up with him. They could see the figure of a teenage boy at the end of the corridor with his bag swung over his shoulder. "It sounds horrible, but I already have an idea on how to do it. However, I don't want you to be witnesses to the crime I'm about to commit. You better leave Yomiyama as soon as possible. Sakaki," he turned to Kouichi. "I'm sorry we can't have that drink at Inoya as I promised. It's a shame we reunited under such grim circumstances."

"Ah, forget about that. On the other hand, you know what you have to do after it's done?"

"Yes. I have to record the details and hide it in the classroom before the memories slip from my mind," said Naoya, clearly aware of his task.

"Yes. Good luck, Teshigawara-kun," said Mei and shook his hand. Naoya couldn't help but notice how warm her hands were. Since her skin was very pale he assumed her hands would be ice cold, but they were rather pleasant.

"If you need anything, you can always give me a call," said Kouichi and squeezed his friend's shoulder as an encouragement.

"I will. Thank you."

"Let's go, Sakakibara-kun," said Mei and they both walked down the corridor leaving Naoya behind. When they passed Hajime the boy bowed.

"_Sayonara,_ Misaki-sensei," he said with a smile.

"_Sayonara, _Hajime-kun," Kouichi answered in a sad voice.

"Say, Sakakibara-kun," Mei said when they were walking down the stairs. "As far as I remember, the extra one is always someone related to the curse. Someone who died in the past because of it, right?"

"Yes, that's what the librarian told us if I recall correctly. What was his name? Chizuki or Chibiki I think. Why do you ask?"

"That means Hajime-kun died because Teshigawara-kun was connected to the class. But he couldn't have died this year; otherwise the extra one would have been someone else. Meaning…"

Kouichi caught her line of reasoning. "...meaning he must have died last year or even earlier. If that's true, then the calamity didn't start this year. Teshigawara got the timing wrong."

"_Sono toori desu. _It started earlier."

* * *

"Hajime, come with me please. I'd like to tell you something important before we head home," Naoya said. They headed in the same direction as he did with Kouichi and Mei earlier, but they didn't stop at that dusty old room. They went all the way up to the roof where a wonderful view of the city presented itself in front of their eyes.

"Are we allowed being up here?" Hajime asked a little worried. The railing on the roof hasn't been fixed since the end of the nineties and wasn't very steady. Due to the danger the roof represented in the past decade, it has been prohibited to enter this area at all.

Naoya only gave a nod instead of properly answering. "Hajime, do you remember all the trouble you got into a few years ago?"

"_Otou-san_, you promised you wouldn't mention this again. I don't do that stuff anymore, you know?" Hajime said pretending to be offended.

Looking at the horizon Naoya had the feeling this wasn't his first time looking at this panorama in the company of people close to his heart.

"Did I? Oh well, I only wanted to ask whether you regret them or not. And answer truthfully."

"_Eto…_ Only if you promise not to get mad at me."

"Of course not."

"Well, I do regret a few things, but most of them I don't," said Hajime and blushed. He looked at his father waiting to be scolded for his answer. However, Naoya just laughed.

"You really are my son after all," he said while ruffling Hajime's hair that was the same colour as his. "Let me tell you a secret, but don't tell your mother." He leaned in closer and whispered into his son's ear, "You know, I haven't regretted them either." Those words made Hajime laugh.

"You and I aren't that different," said his father. Suddenly he became serious. "Hajime, I have something to tell you… I want to tell you the reason why I asked you to come up here."

"Yes?"

The silence that followed was deafening. Then tears started to form in Naoya's eyes. "No, I don't know how to do this," he said more to himself than to his son.

"What do you mean, _otou-san_?" asked Hajime confused.

Ignoring his question Naoya turned to face his son and seized him by the shoulder with both hands. The grip was tighter than he intended it to be, that's why Hajime got scared and tried to free himself, but he wasn't strong enough to do so. Now two tears started to roll down the teacher's face. Hajime's breathing increased as he understood something was terribly wrong with his father. His heart began to pump adrenaline through his young body and he attempted to free himself again. His father, who was always cheerful and full of life, was now crying and that frightened him. Then out of the sudden Naoya embraced him, holding him tightly in his arms. Hajime relaxed a little. A few seconds ago he thought his father would hurt him.

"I am truly sorry, Hajime."

Not awaiting his son's reply he pushed him away from himself. Hajime let out a small cry of pain as he hit the railing which immediately broke upon impact. Naoya averted his gaze as his son lost his balance and fell off the roof towards his death.

* * *

_**Nee ittai tsumitte nandarou?**_

**What in the world is a sin?**

* * *

**I am so glad I finished this chapter, it's been the hardest one to write so far. The next chapter is already in progress and it's called A brief encounter. Take care until then, lovely and faithful reader :)**


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